Gills Ladies were comprehensively beaten by Colchester on a disappointing afternoon in their second home game of the season.

Colchester took the lead in the 10th minute through a Megan Jiggins header before Katie Hardaker put through her own net on the half hour. In the 82nd minute Hannah Gowland extended their lead further before Danni Farmer pulled one back from the spot, before Megan Doyle scored the final goal of the game.

The first chance of the game came in the first minute, when Chloe Baker missed picking up a ball on an extremely slippery pitch. Helen Bass managed to nick the ball around the recovering keeper but shot wide.

Two minutes later Lauren Phillips tried her luck from distance when she picked the ball up on the right hand side. However, her cross come shot was easily gathered by Nikita Runnacles in the Colchester goal.

In the fifth minute Baker was called into action again this time to make a good save from Helen Bass who got in on goal again.

With ten minutes gone Sarah Jones was adjudged to have handled the ball and the referee awarded a free-kick. Maegan Doyle swung the free-kick into the Gills box and Megan Jiggins rose at the far post to head home and make it 0-1.

The Gills had their best chance of the game in the 17th minute when Natalie Crinean was put through into the box. It was a great ball that split the defence and with the keeper to beat Crinean put her shot agonisingly wide of the far post.

Again Baker was back into the action in the 22nd minute when Helen Bass was put through on goal but she found Chloe Baker equal to her shot.

Less than a minute later up the other end and Lauren Phillips crossed into the Colchester box, it was cut out and came to Katie Hardaker on the edge of the area, she tried her luck but her shot went wide.

It was 2-0 just before the half hour mark when a corner from Sian Larkin was whipped across the six yard area. Katie Hardaker in making every effort to clear the ball from the Gills box was unlucky to slice the ball into her own net.

On the stroke of half time a Danni Farmer cross was fired wide from Laura East on the edge of the Colchester area.

Half Time 0-2

The first chance of the second half went to the Gills as Lauren Phillips was fouled in the midfield. Danni Farmer again swung the free-kick into the area it was cleared to Emma Tune on the edge of the area but her shot was deflected wide off a Gills player.

Colchester went close to a third goal in the 54th minute when Helen Bass got into the Gills box once more, but her shot came back off the far post and was cleared away from danger.

The Gills had a goal ruled out for offside in the 59th minute. Vicky Ashton-Jones played in Natalie Crinean who fired a shot into the top corner, only for the lineman to have already raised his flag for offside.

Just after the hour mark Katie Hardaker crossed for Danni Farmer in the Colchester area, but her header was straight at Nikita Runnacles.

Natalie Crinean was at the centre of the Gills next two attacking moves firing straight at the keeper in the 71st minute before crossing for Jiggins to try and clear but nearly put it in the top corner of her own net.

Hannah Gowland had got in twice and fired wide before she got her name on the score sheet in the 83rd minute. She was put through by Helen Bass and this time made no mistake firing home with some aplomb to make it 0-3.

The Gills were thrown a life line in the 85th minute when Megan Jiggins was adjudged to have handled the ball inside her area. The referee pointed to the spot and Danni Farmer fired home the spot kick for her second goal of the season to make it 1-3.

Megan Doyle saved the best goal to last when she stepped up and fired a free-kick into the top corner from around thirty yards out to make it 1-4.

The Gills have now lost their last two games and will be hoping to get back to winning ways next weekend away at Spurs.

Full Time 1-4

Gills: Baker, Hardaker (Taylor, 83), East, Jones S, Poole, Phillips (Cheedy, 57), Tune, Ashton-Jones, Smith, Crinean, Farmer.

Colchester: Runnacles, West, Henderson, Heaslip, Jiggins, Fagg, Guyon, Bass, Larkin, Gowland, Doyle

Subs: Rushen, Parnell, Southgate